A conventional automated sample processing system includes units having various types of functions located between a loading unit and a storage unit as described in Patent Document 1. Typically, the conventional automated sample processing system has a structure in which a sample is loaded from the loading unit located on the upstream side of the system for processing the sample and is processed by the various units so that the processed sample is stored in the storage unit located on the most downstream side. In order to transport the sample to a location at which the next process is performed, the sample then passes through a discharge line of the storage unit. Then, the sample is transported to the location at which the next process such as a process of automatically analyzing the sample is performed.
The aforementioned configuration is effective when the sample is processed while being transported in one direction. Similarly to the aforementioned system, in another automated sample processing system configured such that a loading unit, a centrifuge unit, an opening unit, a storage unit and the like are fixed without the units being combined, a dispensing device is not located on the most downstream side of the system for processing a sample.
In addition, as described with reference to FIG. 1 of Patent Document 2, a sample is supplied from a sample supply unit, passes through a dispensing unit and a vessel supply unit, and is transported to a sample discharge unit.
In a system that is designed on the premise that a sample is subjected to pretreatments, the pretreatments to be performed by an operator on a sample, that is, a series of operations are automated such as an arrival confirmation of the sample, centrifugal separation to be performed on the sample, opening of a plug of a sample vessel, dispensing of a serum of the sample into another vessel, closing of the vessel into which the sample has been dispensed, and storage of the processed sample.
Thus, the dispensing operation is performed during the pretreatments and is not performed on the most downstream side of the system for processing the sample.
In recent years, sample processing is strongly required to be performed automatically. For that purpose, there is an automated system in which a stored sample is automatically retrieved from a storage unit in order to reinspect the sample and transported through an automatic transport line to an automatic analyzer.